Sewing-machine threader



April l, 1930. A. MccjfgUHARTY S'EWING MACHNE THREADER 'Filed Aug. 22,1928

2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY April 1, 193.0. A. Mec. FLUHARTY I 1,753,114 I SEWING MACHINE THREADER Filed Aug. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ilia@ ,Eff/9 8v.

WlTNESSES INVENTOR I ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1, 193i) TAT-Es Aralar OFFICEr ALLAN MCC. FL'UHARTY, 0F MIAMI, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTEEN PER GEORGE L. DIXON, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA SEWINGrMAOHINE THREADER l Application filed-August 22, 1928. Serial No. 301,360.

This invention relates to a needle-threader adapted to form an attachment fora sewing machine.

An obj ect of the invention is the provision ..5 of a needle-threader which is adapted to be removably connected to a sewing machine, in which the threader is hingedly mounted, so that it may be readily removed from itsop erative position with the needle.l

Another object of the invention is the provision of a needle-threader having a conical passage, the threader being formed of a pair of spring-pressed hingedly connected members, with one of the members being capable 15 of movement relative to the other for releasing the thread after the needle has been threaded. Y

A further object of the invention is the provision of a needle-threader for a sewing 20 machine, which is swingable to and from operative position with the eye of a needle, and having a lug adapted to engage the lower shoulder on a needle bar toaline the conical passage through which the thread is inserted '15 in the eye of a needle This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following'detailed description in connection. with -the 4accompanying'drawings; nevertheless it is to be understood that this invention is `not conlined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications asshall dene no material departure from the salient featuresof the invention as expressed in the appended claims. p 1

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective ,of a thrcader attachment applied to a sewing machine.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the threader.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3*?) of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line .1*4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a View in perspective of a modified form of the needle-threader.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the conically shaped thread receiving member. Y v

CENT To j Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken along Referring more particularly vto the draw-l ings, 10 designates a face plate of a sewing machine, which is connected to a body portion 11 in which a needle bar 12 is slidably supported. The needle bar has a shoulder 13 at its lower end. A needle 14 having an eye l5 is mounted in the bar 12, and held in place by means of a set screw 16.

The thread 17 is carried downwardly over the face plate 10, and is held in position by means of a U-shaped guide 18 securedto the faceplate 10. v

A supporting plate 2O is secured to the .face plate 10 by meansV of a set screwk 21, and has an upstanding arm 22 provided with a spring 23 projecting laterally from the arm. A

, flange 24 is formed at right angles to the plate 20, and is provided with a perforation 25.

A plate 30 is swingably mounted on a anged collar 31, which passes through the perforation 25 and the flange 24 for pivotally connecting the vplate 3() with the iange 24. The plate has reinforcing side walls 31 and inturned flanges 32 4which `are adapted to engage a slide 33 for maintaining said slide in contact with the plate 30.

The slide 33 is normally held in an upward position on the plate 30 by means of a coiled spring 35, which has one end secured to a set screw 36 at the upper end of the slide 33, and the other end received within a groove formed in the flanged collar 31, as shown at 37. A lug 38 projects from one edge of the slide 33, and is adapted to engage beneath theshoulder 13 of the needle bar 12 for properly positioning the slide for a purpose which will be presently explained. A

The lower end of the slide 33 is extended downwardly and outwardly, as shownat 40, and the upper part 41 Vof thev extension is turned in order to provide a bearing for a u pintle 42. The lower free end of the exten.- sion 4() is pressed into shape to form one-half of a conically shaped thread receiving member, which has its outer reduced end 43alining with the eye 15 of the needle 14. A semiconically shaped member 44 cooperates with a semi-conically shaped member 45 to provide a threaded guiding member 46.

, The thread guiding member 46 is formed at the lower end of a plate 47, which has a lug 48 cut from the material of the plate and bent inwardly and curved, as shown at 49, to re-.

ceivethe pintle 42, whereby the plate 47 `is swingably mounted on said pintle and movable relat-ive to the extension 40. The plate is bent outwardly, as shown at 50, and then upwardly, as at 51, to provide a finger piece which is engaged by a spring member 52. One end of the set screw 36 projects through a slot 53 formed in the plate 30 for aiding in guiding the slide 33 in the flange plate 30. Y rvThe operation of the device shown in Figures 1l to 4 inclusive, is as follows: During the operation of the machine, the needlethreaderzis normally in an inoperative position, and this position is obtained by swinging the plate 30 on its pivot 31 until the lower ends 54 of the members 44,45 engage beneath the spring clip 23.

When it is desired to operatively position the needle threader with respect to the eye 15 of the needle 14, the members 44, 45 are'released from the spring clip 23, and the plate 30 is swung to the position shown in Figure 1. In order to valine theeye of the needle with the reduced end 43 `of the thread guide, the slide 33 is pulled downwardly until the lug 38 engages beneath the shoulder 13 ofthe needle bar 12. At this time, the reduced end will be in alinement with the eye 15 of the needle.V The thread 17 is brought downwardly and inserted through the conically shaped portions 44 and 45 of the members 40 and 47, whence the reduced portion 43 will guide the end of the thread 17 through the eye 15 of the needle.

A pair of spring clips '55 project from the ends ofthe members 40 and 47, and embrace the needle 14 for aiding in maintaining the lower end of the Vneedle-threader in engagement with the needle. The outer end of the springmembers 55 are flared in order to facilitate the reception of the needle between the spring members. The spring clips 55 act as a guide only when the clip 55 ofthe member 47 is bent to embrace the needle.

3 When it is desired to remove the needlethreader from engagementV with the needle after the thread has been forced through the eye 15, it is only necessary to move the Vmember 51 inwardly against the tension ofthe spring52, whereby the semi-conically shaped jaws 44 and 45 will be moved outwardly from each other, permitting the thread 17 to pass between the jaws and to be free vof the needlethreader. At this time, the needle-'threader may be swung upon its pivot 31 untilV the edges 54 of the lower end will engagebetween the springs 23.

Referring more particularly to Figure 5, it will be seen that a 'modified form of the needle-threader is disclosed in which a leaf 60 has a bearing 61 carrying a pintle 62 upon which is pivotally mounted a bar 63. The leaf 60 is secured in place by means of a set screw 6,4threaded into a perforation in a face plate in a sewing machine 66.

The bar 63 is provided with a lug 67 adapted to engage beneath a shoulder 68 of a needle bar 69, which carries a needle 70.

The bar 63'has a shoulder 71 from which V depends an extension 72 having a semi-coniycallyshaped ,member 73 at the lower end thereof. The extension 72 carries a pintle 74 below the shoulder 71. v v

A plate 75 is provided with bearings 7 6, which receive the pintle 74 to provide a hinge mounting for the plate 75 on the extension 72. The lower end of the plate 75 has a semiconically shaped member 76 cooperating with the semi-conically shaped member 73 to form a guide for the end of the thread 77 for directing the end of the thread through the eye of the needle 70. The upper end of the plate 75 is provided with a lip 78 having a socket 79 to receive one end of a spring 8O which tends to hold'the lever 78 outwardly from the bar 63and to maintain the Vmember 76 in engagement with the member 7 3; `The plate 75 and the extension 72 are provided with spring clips 81, which are adapted to engage around the needle for aiding in properly positioning thefneedle-threader with respect to the eye of'a needle.

A. clip 83 is secured to the face plate 65, and is adaptedto engage beneath the portions 7 3v and 76 when'the needle-threader has been positioned on the pivot 62 and located in an elevated position and out of engagement with the needle.

The operation of the device shown in Figvure-5 is as follows: WhenY it is desired to thread the needle 70, the bar 63 is grasped, and sufficient pull is exerted to release the needle-threader from the clip 83. The bar 63l is then swung downwardly 'until the spring member-81 engages the needle 7 0 when the lug 67 will beengaged beneath the shoulder68 of the bar 69. The passage between the members 73 and 76 is alined with the eye of the needle 70,V so that it is only necessary for the operator to force the free end of the thread 77 through the conically shaped passage, whence it will be guided through the eye of the needle.

' "When the threadv77is released from the conically shaped passage by bearing on the lip 78, the member 76 willV be moved outwardly from the member 73, whereby the thread may be forced between the spaced lower end of the members 73 and 76.

The modified form of the thread guide is shown in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, in which a bar 90 has a lug 91 adapted to engage beneath the shoulder 68 o' the needle bar 69, and is provided with an odset extension 92 having a thread receiving member 93. The conically shaped member 93 is formed from the lower end of the extension 92 by bending the material of the member upwardly to provide a conically shaped passage 94e with the free end 95 spaced from the extension 92, whereby it is possible to release the thread through the slot 96 after the needle has been threaded.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. In a sewing machine, a needle-threader comprising a swingably mounted bar having at the end thereof a semi-conically shaped member, a plate hingedly connected to the bar and provided with a semi-conically shaped member adapted to be alined with the first mentioned semi-conically shaped member to provide a guide for a thread to the eye of a needle, the hinged plate being movable away from the bar to form a space between the semi-conically shaped members for releasing the thread after the needle has been threaded, and cooperating means on the bar and hinged plate for gripping the needle and for aligning the thread guide with the eye of said needle, the means on the hinged plate being movable away from the means on the bar to release the thread from the threader and the bar from the needle when the hinged plate is moved away from the bar.

2. In a sewing machine, a needle-threader comprising a swingably mounted bar having at the end thereof a semi-conically shaped member, a plate hingedly connected to the bar and provided with a semi-conically shaped member adapted to be alined with the first mentioned semi-conically shaped member to provide a guide for a thread to the eye of a needle, spring clips carried by the plate and bar and cooperatively embracing the needle for retaining the thread guide in alinement with the eye of the needle, the hinged plate being movable away from the bar to form a space between the semi-conically shaped members for releasing the thread after the needle has been threaded and for moving the spring clips away from each other for releasing the guide from the needle.

8. In a sewing machine, a needle threader Comprising a swingably mounted bar having at the end thereof a semi-conically shaped member, a plate hingedly connected to the bar and provided with a semi-conically shaped member adapted to be alined with the first mentioned semi-conically shaped member to provide a guide for a thread to the eye of a needle, the hinged plate being movable away from the bar to form a space between the semi-conically shaped members for releasing the thread after the needle has been threaded, said plate having a spring pressed lip for retaining the semi-conically shaped members in operative relation and the plate in contact with the bar, and means carried by the plate and bar adapted to grip the needle for retaining the guide in alinement with the needle, said retaining means being adapted to be released from the needle when the plate is operated.

4. In a sewing machine, a needle threader comprising a swingably mounted bar forming a guide, a plate slidably mounted in the guide, resilient means for maintaining the plate in a predetermined position within the guide, said plate having a projecting lug adapted to engage the usual needle bar of a sewing machine for retaining the plate in a predetermined position, said plate being provided with a means adapted to be aligned with the eye of the needle for guiding the thread into the eye of the needle, said lug when engaged with the needle bar being adapted to properly position the needle threading means in align-ment with the eye of the needle. c

ALLAN MGC. F LUHARTY. 

